Accountants for Builders in Norwich
CIS refunds, Self Assessment and construction VAT handled properly, so you can keep the job moving. No jargon, no surprises, no inflated fees.
Built for the building trade
Tax sorted for, Norwich builders without the jargon
Most builders are running two tax positions at once without thinking about it. Extensions, loft conversions and refurbishment work billed direct to a homeowner sit outside the Construction Industry Scheme. Subcontract work for a main contractor sits inside it, with 20 percent taken off your labour before you see the money. Both belong on the same Self Assessment return and both are treated differently, so the way the two streams are recorded decides whether your return is right and whether your refund is the full amount.
Norwich is an unusual construction market. It has one of the largest medieval city centres in England, a very large number of listed buildings and several substantial conservation areas, which means a steady flow of renovation, conversion and repair work with rules attached. It is also the trade centre for a wide rural catchment, so a Norwich builder often covers a far larger area than a builder in a comparable city elsewhere. That combination pulls a lot of VAT questions into play, particularly around conversions and homes that have stood empty for a long period.
Hammer & Ledger Tax works only with tradespeople and construction businesses. Our office is at 50 Princes Street in Ipswich and we look after builders across Norwich and Norfolk. Almost everything is handled by phone, email and WhatsApp, so working with us does not cost you time on site or a drive down the A140.
WHAT WE HANDLE
Accounting services for builders
Everything a self employed builder or small building company in Norwich needs, under one roof.
CIS Refunds
Every CIS statement cross checked against what was actually withheld, contractors chased where statements never arrive, and the refund followed through to your bank account.
Self Assessment
Prepared, checked with you in plain English and filed before the 31 January deadline, with every allowable cost claimed and any payment on account flagged well in advance.
Bookkeeping
Snap your receipts, we do the rest. Materials, plant hire, subcontractor payments and CIS statements matched and filed as you go rather than reconstructed in January.
VAT on conversions and renovations
Norwich work throws up more of these than most places. Qualifying new build residential construction can be zero rated, and certain conversions and renovations of long term empty homes can qualify for a reduced rate.
Sole Trader to Ltd
Once profits build, a limited company can save tax, and main contractors often prefer it. We run your actual figures both ways and handle formation and registration if it stacks up.
Payroll and subcontractor payments.
PAYE and pension auto enrolment for employees, plus subcontractor verification, monthly CIS returns and the payment and deduction statements your subbies need.
HOW IT WORKS
From glovebox paperwork to filed and refunded
Book a free review
A quick call about your work, your income and what you have been claiming so far. No obligation, no sales pitch.
Send us your records
CIS statements, invoices, receipts, mileage. Photos from your phone are fine. We will tell you exactly what we need.
We prepare and file
Your return prepared by an ACMA qualified accountant, checked with you in plain English, then filed with HMRC.
Refund and support
Any CIS refund chased through to your bank account, and year round support whenever a tax question comes up.
WHY HAMMER & LEDGER TAX
Qualified, authorised and on your side
ACMA Qualified
HMRC Authorised Agent
CIMA Member
Sage Partner
SERVING NORWICH
Ipswich office, Norfolk wide service
Address
Phone
Email
Builders ask us these a lot
How do CIS refunds work for builders?
When you subcontract to a main contractor, 20 percent is deducted from the labour element of your invoices under the Construction Industry Scheme and paid to HMRC on your behalf. That deduction ignores your van, tools, plant hire, materials and personal allowance, so most subcontractors have overpaid by the end of the tax year. Your Self Assessment return reconciles it and the overpayment comes back as a refund.
I do a lot of conversion and renovation work. Is the VAT different?
It can be. Qualifying new build residential construction can be zero rated, and a reduced rate can apply to certain residential conversions and to homes that have been empty for a long period. The conditions are specific and the evidence needs to be kept properly. Given how much of that work comes up around Norwich, it is worth checking before you price a job rather than afterwards.
Does the reverse charge apply to my invoices?
The domestic reverse charge for building and construction services applies where a VAT registered business supplies most construction services to another VAT registered business that will supply them on. The customer accounts for the VAT instead of you. It does not apply where your customer is an end user, such as a homeowner having work done on their own property.
Should I switch from sole trader to a limited company?
It depends mainly on your profit level, how you take money out and what your contractors expect to see. A limited company can save tax at higher profits but adds filing, cost and stricter rules on drawings. We run your actual numbers rather than working from a rule of thumb.
You are in Ipswich, not Norwich. Does that matter?
Not in practice. Records come in by phone photo, email or WhatsApp and everything is handled remotely, so almost none of our clients need to travel. We work with builders across Norwich and Norfolk, and the Ipswich office is there if you would rather meet in person.
KEEP EXPLORING
Useful next steps
Ready When YOU ARE
Stop leaving your CIS refund with HMRC
Book a free review with an accountant who works with builders every day. It takes 15 minutes and costs nothing.
